1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electric dry shavers. The invention relates more particularly to an improved arrangement for mechanically intercoupling an electric drive motor with a short hair cutter and a hair trimmer of the shaver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric dry shavers are known which include a shaver head having a short hair cutter for shaving relatively short facial hairs and a hair trimmer for shearing relatively longer hairs. One known type is a foil shaver wherein the short facial hair cutter comprises a stationary, apertured, outer foil cutter member and an inner assembly of cutter blades. The inner assembly reciprocates relative to the stationary foil and, in cooperation therewith, shears short facial hairs which extend through the foil apertures. The hair trimmer includes a stationary comb member and a moveable cutter member, each having a plurality of teeth. Reciprocating motion is established between these comb and cutter members and relatively longer body hairs which extend between the reciprocating teeth are sheared. In one arrangement, the short hair cutter and the hair trimmer are simultaneously actuated by mechanical coupling to the same electric motor. An electric dry shaver of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,109.
A particular arrangement of a foil shaver includes a rotating armature motor having a rotary output shaft. Mechanical coupling between the motor and the short hair cutter and the hair trimmer includes a drive body which cooperates with a cam means to transform rotary shaft motion of the motor to reciprocating motion of the blade assembly and the trimmer cutter. Efficiency of operation makes it desirable to minimize power losses which are introduced by the mechanical coupling and motion conversion. One form of drive body comprises a relatively light weight polymer plastic body having an integral U-shaped segment and a pair of depending, relatively thin, wall segments which suspend and support the U-shaped segment. The U-shaped segment is supported near a lower part of legs of the segment for relatively friction free suspension and reciprocating motion upon actuation by the motor. A segment for engaging the short hair cutter blade assembly and imparting reciprocating motion thereto is also integrally formed with the U-shaped body. A similar drive body has also been provided for the trimmer cutter. In one arrangement, the mechanical coupling between the rotary shaft motor and the trimmer provides for simultaneous actuation of the short hair cutter and the hair trimmer in opposite, reciprocating directions in order to provide relatively balanced, mechanical operation of the shaver.
In view of the suspension of the U-shaped segment by the relatively thin wall segments, the positioning, mounting and assembly of the drive body has been relatively complex and costly. In one arrangement as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,711, a metal clip is provided and is mounted to the electric motor. The polymer plastic drive body is secured to the metal clip with captivating clips and this assembly is mounted to an upper housing member of the shaver. While this arrangement is advantageous, the resulting construction requires a number of parts thus increasing the relative costs and assembly costs. In addition, the number of metal parts creates an operating noise level which is greater than desirable.